2026

Introverts for Dummies

By LoriAnne Swaby

Jamaica is commonly known as an extroverted country - most of its inhabitants are colorful, friendly and outspoken. However, there is a number of individuals within the island who are more shy, reserved and sensitive. When it comes to the Jamaican school system, most introverted children are ridiculed, shunned and even bullied by both their peers and the faculty. It’s best to hear the perspective of a introvert that can tell you how to handle us, rather than consulting someone else.

Introverts for Dummies.pdf

Caribbean Creativity in the Age of Algorithms: Teaching Cultural Authenticity in AI-Assisted Creative Practice

By George Walker

As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly embedded in creative production, educators face a critical challenge: how to integrate these technologies into creative learning without compromising cultural authenticity. This paper explores the implications of AI-assisted creative practice within Caribbean education, focusing on how generative tools such as text, image, and video AI interact with culturally specific storytelling.

Grounded in practice-based research and qualitative insights drawn from creative practitioners, the study examines how AI systems, often trained on predominantly Western datasets, can produce outputs that risk flattening or misrepresenting Caribbean identities, aesthetics, and narratives. While these tools offer unprecedented access to rapid content creation and experimentation, they also introduce tensions around authorship, cultural ownership, and representation.

The paper proposes a pedagogical framework for teaching critical AI literacy within creative courses, emphasising cultural awareness, ethical reflection, and intentional creative direction. Students are encouraged not only to use AI tools but to interrogate their outputs, questioning bias, refining cultural specificity, and reclaiming narrative control.

By situating AI within a Caribbean context, the study highlights both the risks and opportunities of algorithm-driven creativity. It argues that rather than rejecting AI, educators should equip students to engage with it critically and creatively, ensuring that local voices, histories, and perspectives remain central in an increasingly automated creative landscape.

Teaching Animation to Beginners

By Melissa Lyn

Drawing skills and access to expensive software are often seen as barriers to entering the animation industry. In reality, this field relies on a wide range of skills, and software requirements can vary from expensive subscription services to free, open-source tools. Teaching beginners with no prior drawing experience, and continuing to support students developing their draftsmanship, offers clear benefits to animation’s overall ecosystem. This includes increased awareness, strengthened community engagement, and the identification of transferable skills that students can already apply to existing production settings.

By teaching animation history, fundamentals, and most importantly, the variety of role requirements within the animation pipeline, educators can build confidence in beginners while they progress at their own pace. Starting with simple, shape-based exercises while gradually increasing complexity makes concepts easier to absorb. This helps students recognize animation principles before they are able to consistently apply them in their own work. An empowering teaching style paired with group support encourages beginners to keep learning and to deepen their appreciation for animation.

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Teaching Beyond Talent: Embedding Career Readiness in Creative Disciplines

By Natasha Griffiths

Creative programmes often produce talented graduates who are technically strong but underprepared for the collaborative, structured, and competitive realities of the creative industries. This presentation explores how educators can bridge the gap between creativity and career by embedding industry-conscious practices into the design of creative courses. Rather than treating career readiness as an add-on, the session proposes an integrated approach where professional skills, such as collaboration, pitching, portfolio development, communication, and understanding production pipelines, are built directly into teaching, learning activities, and assessment. Drawing on examples from animation education, including the redesign of a capstone experience, the presentation will highlight practical strategies for simulating real-world creative environments within academic settings. These include structured project development, role-based teamwork, and exposure to industry-style feedback and evaluation. The session aims to provide educators with adaptable approaches to better prepare students not only to create, but to function effectively and sustainably within the creative industries.

I Asked ChatGPT, "What's The Future of Animation Education?"

By Chevonnese Chevers Whyte

Animation education over the next 1–5 years should shift from tool-based instruction to a competency-driven model that prioritises storytelling, creative direction, and critical thinking. While foundational principles—such as the principles of animation and performance—must remain central, they should be taught alongside AI-assisted workflows, with students learning to evaluate, refine, and direct AI-assisted outputs. Educators should integrate AI literacy, including prompt design, tool limitations, and ethical considerations, to ensure responsible and effective use.

Curricula should emphasise pipeline thinking, enabling students to understand how different tools (AI and traditional) function across production stages. Assessments should focus more on process, iteration, and decision-making rather than final outputs. Additionally, programmes should strengthen pre-production skills, particularly storyboarding and character development, where human creativity remains critical. Over time, animation education should evolve to support interdisciplinary learning, cultural content creation, and adaptive skill development, preparing students to work collaboratively with AI while maintaining originality and cultural relevance in a rapidly changing industry.

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